1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to telecommunication networks and, more particularly, to a method and system for intercepting calls for selected network services and routing the calls to predetermined call centers.
2. Background of the Art
In present network service environments, customers may order Asynchronous Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) and Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) service simply by calling designated telephone numbers associated with a service provider, and requesting the desired service. Generally, separate telephone numbers were designated for specific types of customers requesting ADSL service. Residential ADSL service was associated with one telephone number, while business ADSL service was associated with another number.
As the popularity and demand for ADSL service increased, the business number associated with ADSL service became widely distributed. Eventually, customers requesting residential ADSL service were calling the business ADSL numbers more frequently than the residential ADSL telephone number. As a result, the Business Service Centers (BSCs) handling these service requests were receiving excess traffic, which affected the processing speed of the requests. At the same time while the BSCs were overloaded, residential sales centers associated with handling residential ADSL service calls were being underutilized.
Although conventional techniques for handling service requests enable customers to differentiate between the types of service they would like to receive, the methods in which the service requests are handled have drastic affects on the systems implementing these methods. The mis-management of service requests affect not only the traffic load of specific areas of the provider's network, but have business repercussions as well. Delays in service request processing have a tendency to frustrate potential customers because of the extended time taken to process service requests routed to overloaded service centers. Frustrated customers have tendencies to look for services elsewhere when the process for obtaining an available service from a provider is deemed tedious or lengthy.